Question for Tenor players

Icelander53

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 2, 2014
Messages
1,873
Reaction score
1
Location
Southern Oregon
I know many of you who play Tenor have several now and have owned many more over the years.

My question is something like this. Which tenor do you consider the easiest to play and why? What makes it more fun and or easier to play well then the others?
 
My Moore Bettah. Because it's Moore Bettah. I like my HF-3 second.
 
Are tenors significantly easier to play than a concert scale-wise? Is there much more room?
 
My Moore Bettah. Because it's Moore Bettah. I like my HF-3 second.

Hey Brad...if I could play like you all my tenors ukes would be my favorite....
I like your thinking though.... :)
 
I know many of you who play Tenor have several now and have owned many more over the years.

My question is something like this. Which tenor do you consider the easiest to play and why? What makes it more fun and or easier to play well then the others?

I think it depends on the neck profile you like. For me, a flatter (vs. round) neck profile and low action make a uke easy to play. All my tenors are easy to play.

A thinner neck is better too. Although a neck can be too thin also.
 
I think it depends on the neck profile you like. For me, a flatter (vs. round) neck profile and low action make a uke easy to play. All my tenors are easy to play.

A thinner neck is better too. Although a neck can be too thin also.

yes, i agree w every word here.
 
I came from playing guitar for almost 50 years, so when I bought my first uke not knowing about sizes, it was a soprano. It was not even close to being comfortable, cramped as can be. Then I learned about sizes and immediately went to tenor. Now I'm hooked on cutaways (though my UAS seems to be waining a little because I've gotten rid of more than I've kept). I've had the action lowered on a few, which for me makes them much easier to play.
 
Last edited:
Are tenors significantly easier to play than a concert scale-wise? Is there much more room?

It sure feels like it, but it's what I'm used to. I like the additional pull the strings have and how they have a little more room to stay in tune up the fretboard. I have never met a concert or soprano that I felt was even close to as easy to play as a tenor.

Hey Brad...if I could play like you all my tenors ukes would be my favorite....
I like your thinking though.... :)

Haha. Thanks.
 
My Moore Bettah. Because it's Moore Bettah. I like my HF-3 second.

Same here. I wish I knew what it is about my Moore Bettah that makes it so much fun, but I don't. Some of it might be that I just love the sound it makes and the way it vibrates when it's being played. I also love playing my Kamaka HF-3.
 
A low action, but not too low is going to make any stringed, fretted instrument easier to play than if the action were higher. At gCEA tuning a Tenor ukulele will have MORE string tension than the shorter scale ukulele's. Soprano having the lightest tension and Concert in the middle. You have more room to fret the tenor than the smaller ukulele's. I detune my tenors 2 or 3 semitones and this brings the string tension down making them easier to play. You may find the larger body of the tenor easier to hold which may make it easier to play however some people may find the smaller ukulele's easier to hold.

Multiple factors to consider.

Anthony
 
I have never met a concert or soprano that I felt was even close to as easy to play as a tenor.

I've not met a soprano as easy to play as my concerts or tenors... until a Timms, that is. I still don't like the soprano as much as other scales, but I'm thinking the Martin Style 0 or 1, or a Timms 0 are pretty easy -- if cramped a bit for some.


A low action, but not too low is going to make any stringed, fretted instrument easier to play than if the action were higher. At gCEA tuning a Tenor ukulele will have MORE string tension than the shorter scale ukulele's. Soprano having the lightest tension and Concert in the middle. You have more room to fret the tenor than the smaller ukulele's. I detune my tenors 2 or 3 semitones and this brings the string tension down making them easier to play. You may find the larger body of the tenor easier to hold which may make it easier to play however some people may find the smaller ukulele's easier to hold.

Multiple factors to consider.

Anthony

I agree with this. I detuned the Loprinzi a 1/2 step for quite a while until I got used the tension.

I now have a uke that has supplanted the Loprinzi and the Kala, which I had much preferred over any of my others initially. I still like the concert KPK, but the all out winner for me is a concert Ono with a slightly longer scale - it's between a concert and a tenor with a concert body. When I have the time to open the case and play I rarely want to put it back in the case.

Part of the playability really is going to come down to what scale suits you for stretch (getting all the strings cleanly fretted for the types of songs you want to get out of your instrument) and the stamina you have for fretting (the tension differences between scales). I love the sound of the tenors but my concert Ono is by far the easiest to play for me.

as a former guitar player... I still really enjoy the baritones too.:)
 
Yep, my Moore Bettah(s). There is something about the feel and playability of Chuck's ukes that just seems right.

But in general, the higher string tension on the tenor scale makes it less comfortable for some people to play tenors.
 
Probably my Godin. The neck profile is on the chunky side, which I like because I'm a weirdo, and the satin finish makes it so easy to play. It's at least as comfortable as any custom I've played. My KoAloha tenor is comfy too, but it has chunky solid koa neck that throws off the weight distribution a little (the newer ones don't have this problem).
 
Thanks that's what I'm looking for. Specific instruments that have worked for you better than your others all things being equal.

BTW I also like the chunky neck profile. My Gretsch is very chunky and by far my easiest to play uke. If only it was my best sounding uke I'd be content. It is a nice sounding uke though. Just not my favorite.

Which Godin and which KoAloha models if I may ask?

Edit: I see Godin only makes electrics.:(
 
Last edited:
My Koaloha tenor [2013 build] is my go to uke. For some reason I like the wider fretboard [1.5"], and it sounds great when played softly, and a cannon when played hard. My vintage Martin tenor is #2 for it's sweet, thin, fast neck, but it's a bit narrower[1 3/8"] than the Koaloha. #3 is not a tenor, but my older Favilla baritone [hot stamp inside, no label]. very lightly built,low action and super easy to play, incredible tone. shorter scale and smaller, but thicker, body than my other baris. If it was a tenor it would be my #1.
I have had Compass Rose, Breedlove, MP, Kanilea, Kala, Lanikai, Kamaka, Howlett, etc tenors, but the only high dollar one I've kept are the Martin and Koaloha. many of the others were very nice, but the Koaloha had the edge in tone for me.
 
Last edited:
BTW I also like the chunky neck profile. My Gretsch is very chunky and by far my easiest to play uke. If only it was my best sounding uke I'd be content. It is a nice sounding uke though. Just not my favorite.

If you like chunkier necks you might want to try a Pono. The two Pono tenors in our house are the chunkier necks among our choices.
 
It's the same as with any other size...perfect setup at nut, reasonable setup at bridge, and tone, tone, tone, tone, tone, tone...did I mention that tone is important? :)

John
 
Thanks that's what I'm looking for. Specific instruments that have worked for you better than your others all things being equal.

BTW I also like the chunky neck profile. My Gretsch is very chunky and by far my easiest to play uke. If only it was my best sounding uke I'd be content. It is a nice sounding uke though. Just not my favorite.

Which Godin and which KoAloha models if I may ask?

Edit: I see Godin only makes electrics.:(

My KoAloha is a tenor from 2002. The newer ones have slightly less chunky necks, but they're still really comfortable to play and they're built better than the older ones. Not to mention they pretty much all sound awesome!

If you're ever in the market for an electric, the Godin is definitely the best I've tried.
 
If you like chunkier necks you might want to try a Pono. The two Pono tenors in our house are the chunkier necks among our choices.
I have tried two of them. One an entry level and one that cost around $1200 and unlike most others who love them I wasn't that impressed by them.
 
It sure feels like it, but it's what I'm used to. I like the additional pull the strings have and how they have a little more room to stay in tune up the fretboard. I have never met a concert or soprano that I felt was even close to as easy to play as a tenor.



Haha. Thanks.

Ya need to experience an hf-2L! and better yet a hf-2L+! Tenor scale with lighter tuners and a concert body...and I would like a MooreBettah>hf-3 if I spent for it too, just saying. :drool: <kidding>

I am thinking a deVine would be the best using that logic. :music:
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom